By this time, I am already wondering how malls survive. Some stores are still closed, most have physical distancing measures implemented, but overall, there’s less people coming in - except if it’s a supermarket or a bank, which brings in the necessities. Then there’s online shopping, where the numbers mean crowds. The monthly sales of e-commerce giants Alibaba, Lazada and Shopee is our kind of Black Friday sale in the U.S. ...
We have come to this point that even Anime News Network wrote a story about Mano Aloe. This is my second Desk Diary, where I put my heart out and think loud enough to cover some topics which will then be considered taboo, letting these things go and then moving on. I thought I can get out drama by moving my attention away from local idols and seiyuu drama to Virtual YouTubers. I was wrong. ...
Hi guys, it’s been a while. If there are three things that I’m thankful this past Sunday, (1) I still have my faith intact, (2) I produced two videos coming soon on YouTube - as I write this, I’m already rendering video #2, and (3) I got to witness THE iDOLM@STER’s 15th Anniversary YouTube stream in full. Let me get my chest off iM@S first, and apologies in advance for raising some critical matters just right after they celebrated their 15th year celebration. I’ll be talking about the matters which were not mentioned in the live stream. ...
Ever since this whole quarantine period has started - there should be a counter on the sidebar that tells you how many days it has been - cashless payment systems are gradually being integrated in our “next normal” lives. I’m going to narrate my stories and experiences about cashless payments, and I hope you get a thing or two from what I’ll share to you. Transport I got introduced to cashless transport through beep, the payment system which started from the light rails to e-shuttles and is now integrated with convenience stores like FamilyMart and MiniStop as well as Wendy’s among others. ...
Since 2016, we’ve seen how “Virtual YouTubers” redefine the platform in Japan, and now four years after, we saw the boom of YouTubers, leading the way to its localizations in Korea, China, Indonesia and even India. I’m still watching a few vlogs, but most of the time I spend my mobile data watching VTubers. Or Michael Reeves. Sometimes Lilypichu. But more on Michael Reeves. Maybe Davie504 too. ...
Let’s start this post by showing this comment right here. It’s been more than 10 years since I stepped my foot into an anime convention. My first event is the Anime Overload Festival in November 2009, and I believe SMX Convention Center is that young. I remember wearing an oversized shirt that I describe as a cape, and I’m still a skinny guy who is yet to be introduced to the anime fandom in general. ...
I finally finished reading a physical book after a long time. “Chutzpah & Chutzpah: Saatchi & Saatchi - The Insiders’ Stories” by the trio of Saatchi employees Simon Goode, Richard Myers, Nick Darke takes you into a behind-the-scenes account inside the company established in 1970— Wait, they’re turning 50 years old? How time flies. You must have seen how I got the book at the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale just before we enter the quarantine period, and while I should not be amazed by how ad agencies work, the stories here still amaze me. ...
Yes, you saw it right. Actually, for anime fans my age, it’s not that rare to see this comment. I wrote this piece last year for the Anime Idol Convention 2020 which will be held a week from now (we’re one of its media partners), and I’m happy to share with you my experience being in the anime idol community. Over this post, I’ll share photos from last year’s event. There are a LOT of anime idol franchises these days, and they are dominated by THE iDOLM@STER, LoveLive!, BanG Dream!, among others in the male demographic. ...
I left this piece as a draft for so long as I try to compose myself. Now, dear reader, be ready. December 22, 2019: While I was enjoying my stay at the 2nd OtaCute Cosplay Festival in Manila earlier, I saw Tanchikon at one corner. Well, I did follow a part of Tanchikon’s journey in becoming the magical detective idol that she is nowadays. I’m still keeping in touch with her during events as she gets back to Seishun Kakumei’s fold. ...
New Year’s Fireworks at Eastwood City, 2020. Let me put this side story first before we proceed: I got invited by Red Mendoza of Anime Pilipinas for an ambush interview at Cosplay Matsuri 2019. The topic of the interview was about the next decade, the 2020s. After an exchange of ideas, he got me a pass to enter the PHRadio group online. There I got hold of the information that the esteemed 105.1 Crossover is no more. They’ve transitioned to an online application, while the new kid on the frequency is already up and running. ...